Cheapest Insurance for a Dodge Dakota in Chicago

Do you want to save money by finding cheaper Dodge Dakota insurance in Chicago? Pricey Dodge Dakota insurance in Chicago can overdraw your monthly budget and force you to tighten up your finances. Comparing rates annually can lower your rates and help to make ends meet.

It's hard to fathom, but a large majority of drivers in Illinois have stayed with the same insurance company for over three years, and 38% of customers have never shopped around. The average driver in America can save hundreds of dollars each year, but they just don't understand how much money they would save if they changed companies. Since you have so many auto insurance companies to choose from, it's difficult to find the most affordable insurance company.

Chicago car insurance discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there could be available discounts that many people don't even know exist. Many discounts should be triggered at quote time, but a few must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings.

• Resident Student - College-age children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from Chicago without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Student Discounts - Excelling in school may save as much as 25% on a Chicago car insurance quote. You can use this discount normally up until you turn 25.
• Accident Waiver - Not necessarily a discount, but some companies like GEICO, Allstate and Liberty Mutual allow you one accident without the usual rate increase with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a specific time period.
• Discount for New Cars - Putting insurance coverage on a new Dakota may earn a small discount compared to insuring an older model.
• Anti-theft Discount - Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and that can save you a little bit as well.
• Defensive Driver Discounts - Participating in a course in defensive driving could earn you a small percentage discount if you qualify.
• Military Rewards - Having an actively deployed family member can result in better prices.
• Telematics Devices - Drivers that enable data collection to spy on when and where they use their vehicle by using a telematic data system such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate might see lower rates if they are good drivers.

A quick disclaimer, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, company stockholders wouldn't be very happy.

To see a list of insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in Illinois, follow this link.

All major insurance companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO give price estimates direct online. Getting Dodge Dakota insurance prices online is quite easy as you simply enter your coverage preferences into the quote form. Once entered, the quote system pulls reports for credit and driving violations and quotes a price based on many factors. This makes it easy to compare insurance prices and it's necessary to have as many quotes as possible if you are searching for the lowest payment possible.

In order to compare pricing, compare rates now from the companies shown below. If you have a policy now, it's recommended that you enter your coverages as shown on your current policy. This way, you're receiving a rate comparison using the exact same coverages.

The following companies can provide price quotes in Illinois. If the list has multiple companies, it's highly recommended you visit several of them in order to find the most competitive rates.

Prices above based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Illinois minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can lower or raise premium rates considerably.

Full coverage versus liability-only

The illustration below shows the difference between Dodge Dakota insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The prices are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $100 deductibles, married female driver, and no other discounts are factored in.

When to drop full coverage

There is no clear-cut formula to stop paying for comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

For example, let's assume your Dodge Dakota replacement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $7,000 after paying your deductible. If it's costing in excess of $700 a year for physical damage coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

There are some scenarios where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to keep full coverage to protect the lienholder's interest. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not consider dropping full coverage.

How much insurance do I need?

Always remember that when buying insurance from an agent or online for your vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Each situation is unique.

Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if you will benefit from professional help.

• Why am I required to buy liability insurance?
• Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
• Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
• Should I buy more coverage than the required Illinois minimum liability coverage?
• Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
• What is an SR-22 filing?

If you're not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It's fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Don't I need to talk to an agent?

Some people would rather talk to an insurance agent and that can be a great decision Licensed agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help submit paperwork. An additional benefit of getting online price quotes is that drivers can save money and get cheap car insurance quotes and still have a local agent. Buying from neighborhood agents is important particularly in Chicago.

To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your insurance data is immediately sent to insurance agents in Chicago that can provide free Chicago car insurance quotes for your car insurance coverage. It's much easier because you don't need to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent to you. If you have a need to quote rates from one company in particular, just jump over to their website and complete a quote there.

If you prefer to buy car insurance from a local Chicago insurance agency, it's important to understand the types of agencies to choose from. Car insurance agents in Chicago can be described as either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for. Either one can insure your vehicles properly, but it's a good idea to understand the differences since it can impact the selection process.

Independent Insurance Agents

Agents in the independent channel do not sell for just one brand and that allows them to write policies amongst many companies and find the cheapest rate. If they find a cheaper price, your policy is moved internally and you don't have to do anything.

When shopping rates, you will definitely want to contact several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.

The following is a partial list of independent insurance agencies in Chicago who may be able to give you price quote information.

More Chicago agents

Exclusive Insurance Agencies

Exclusive insurance agents can only provide pricing for a single company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. They usually cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are usually well trained on what they offer which helps them sell on service rather than price.

Shown below is a short list of exclusive agencies in Chicago that can give you rate quotes.

More Chicago agents

Finding the right car insurance agent should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. These are some valid questions you should ask.

• Will the agent or a CSR service your policy?
• Is the agent properly licensed in Illinois?
• Will the company cover a rental car if your car is getting fixed?
• Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
• Do they offer accident forgiveness?
• Does the agent help file claims?
• Does the company have a solid financial rating?

After you get good answers to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that will insure your vehicles. Just be aware that you have the power to cancel your policy any time you want so don't think you're contractually obligated to any particular company indefinitely.

Car insurance is not optional

Even though it's not necessarily cheap to insure a Dodge in Chicago, buying car insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.

• The majority of states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require specific limits of liability protection in order to drive the car. In Illinois these limits are 20/40/15 which means you must have $20,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $40,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $15,000 of property damage coverage.
• If you have a lien on your Dakota, almost all lenders will stipulate that you have full coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank may buy a policy for your Dodge at a significantly higher premium and make you pay for it.
• Insurance safeguards your car and your assets. Insurance will pay for medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability coverage will also pay attorney fees if you cause an accident and are sued. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, your policy will pay to have it repaired.

The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the cost, especially if you ever need it. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is overpaying over $865 each year so we recommend shopping around at every renewal to make sure the price is not too high.

The coverage is in the details

Knowing the specifics of your policy aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for bills for EMT expenses, dental work, chiropractic care and doctor visits. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Liability auto insurance

Liability coverage can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other's property or people by causing an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see limits of 20/40/15 that translate to a $20,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $40,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $15,000. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for claims such as legal defense fees, structural damage, bail bonds, medical expenses and medical services. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. Illinois requires drivers to carry at least 20/40/15 but you should consider buying better liability coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle's occupants from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle's damage.

Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 20/40/15), it doesn't take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy's liability coverage.

Comprehensive insurance

This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like theft, rock chips in glass, fire damage and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle's value consider dropping full coverage.

Coverage for collisions

Collision insurance pays for damage to your Dakota resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against things such as driving through your garage door, colliding with a tree and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible on your Dakota to get cheaper collision coverage.

Cover all your bases

There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller providers prefer to sell through independent agencies. Cost effective Dodge Dakota insurance can be purchased both online as well as from insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of ways to save on Dodge Dakota insurance in Chicago. It's most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding affordable Chicago car insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the best price on insurance is with some of the smallest insurance companies.

As you prepare to switch companies, it's a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. Too many times, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at the lowest possible cost and still be able to protect your assets.

Additional detailed information can be found in the articles below:

• Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Drivers with Accidents in Chicago? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Kia Optima in Chicago? (FAQ)
• How Much is Chicago Auto Insurance for 17 Year Olds? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Camry in Chicago? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for State Employees in Chicago? (FAQ)
• Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)
• Bodily Injury Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
• How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
• Senior Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)